Department for Transport

London-Exeter Railway Line

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 December 2015 (HL4413), whether passengers are involved in developing schemes for the railway between Salisbury and Exeter to meet their needs and support economic growth; and if so, how.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Network Rail’s Route Studies are part of the rail industry’s Long Term Planning Process. They look at the period from 2019 to 2043. They interpret the outputs from the previous market studies to determine the specific aspirations in terms of capacity and connectivity for the geographical area based on detailed demand analysis to forecast growth tailored to create specific forecasts for geographical areas.The analysis identifies where forecast demand is likely to be mismatched with anticipated capacity and indicates where interventions such as train lengthening or additional services may be required.Network Rail set up regional and wider stakeholder groups for both the Wessex and the Western Route Studies. Passenger representatives were involved in all these groups and the 90 day public consultations on the draft route studies received responses from a wide range of parties including individual members of public, campaign and user groups, MPs and local authorities which are summarised in the final Route Study documents . Copies of both Route Studies have been placed in the Library of the House.

London-Exeter Railway Line

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the utility for rail resilience purposes of the Yeovil to Exeter railway line when the Castle Cary/Taunton to Exeter St Davids railway line is blocked.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As part of the resilience element of its Western Route Study, Network Rail assessed the route requirements which would support the diversion of an hourly Great Western Railway (GWR) service from Exeter to Castle Cary via Taunton to Exeter to Castle Cary via Yeovil in the event that the relevant section of the Great Western Main line is restricted by, for example, engineering works or severe weather.This assessment concluded that additional infrastructure would be required to accommodate a combination of an additional hourly service between Exeter St Davids and Axminster and an hourly diversionary GWR service.A copy of the Western Route Study has been placed in the Library.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Empty Property

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical steps they are taking to achieve the maximum use of vacant residential, commercial, and industrial premises for temporary or interim housing, in particular for homeless people or refugees; and whether they have released government properties for such purposes.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government has taken a range of steps to increase housing supply by providing more homes for rent and ownership, as well as encouraging local authorities to bring empty homes back into use. As a result, the number of homes that stand empty for more than six months is at an all time low. The Government is committed to releasing surplus assets to drive economic growth and release land for housing. The Spending Review announced that departments have committed to release land for more than 160,000 homes.

Flood Control

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the role and responsibilities of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) in relation to flood prevention and defences; whether they have been changed in the light of recent flooding; whether they have asked the NIC for advice following that flooding; and whether they have received any such advice.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The National Infrastructure Commission is an independent body that will advise on the country’s infrastructure challenges by adopting a long-term approach in assessing the UK’s infrastructure needs over a 10 to 30 year horizon.The Commission will have a mandate to examine all sectors of economic infrastructure – including flood defences, energy, transport, water and sewage, waste and digital communications.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to respond to North Korea's most recent nuclear test.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 6 January was a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Following the test, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), issued a Written Ministerial Statement on 13 January strongly condemning the nuclear test as a grave breach of UN Security Council resolutions. The Foreign Secretary is also in close contact with our key allies and partners to press for a robust international response. The UK, in conjunction with other members, is currently working on a new UN Security Council Resolution to include further significant measures.On 7 January, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), summoned the DPRK Ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. During this meeting, Mr Swire made clear to the Ambassador the UK’s firm condemnation of his country’s nuclear test and instructed him to make clear to the authorities in Pyongyang that the DPRK risked increasing isolation and further action by the international community unless it followed a different path.

Nuclear Weapons: North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will call upon the EU to impose stricter sanctions on European banks that facilitate North Korea’s nuclear programme.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are working with other members of the UN Security Council in response to the nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 6 January. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has pressed for the need for a robust response to this serious violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. While negotiations are on-going, any further measures that are agreed by the UN will be replicated by the EU and implemented through EU legislation.

Commonwealth: Politics and Government

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy regarding presidents and others who perpetuate their power and authority in the Commonwealth; and whether the Commonwealth as a whole has a policy on that matter.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government expects all Commonwealth states to uphold the standards enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter; which makes clear that governments, political parties and civil society are responsible for upholding and promoting democratic culture and practices and are accountable to the public in this regard.In supporting greater adherence to Commonwealth political values and principles, the Commonwealth Secretariat, under its Strategic Plan (2014/15), has engaged with the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the services of the Secretary General’s Good Offices. The Secretariat has also carried out election management and promoted the values of respect and understanding. This resulted in CMAG’s decision to restore Fiji to full Commonwealth membership and involved the deployment of election observation teams to 13 elections in 11 countries. All election missions reported credible results in accordance with Commonwealth norms.

Capital Punishment

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it remains their policy to work towards the global abolition of the death penalty; if so, why they have not renewed their previous Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty (2010–15); and why Saudi Arabia was not included on the list of priority countries in that strategy.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There has been no change in the British Government’s policy of working towards global abolition of the death penalty.This Government pursues human rights in their universality – a more ambitious and coherent approach than focusing on a small number of single issues. Our commitment to the Rules Based International Order underpins this work, including through bilateral and multilateral support to global efforts to abolish the death penalty. Because of our wider focus, we do not intend to publish a new strategy specific to the death penalty; but on 18 January we published a strategy for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, which shows how work to abolish the death penalty is important under all three of the strategy’s new themes. The FCO’s death penalty-related work will also be covered in future instalments of the FCO’s Annual Human Rights Report.With regard to Saudi Arabia, the criteria used in 2010 to draw up the list of priority countries within the “HMG Strategy for the Abolition of the Death Penalty 2010-2015” are set out in that document. A copy of the Strategy is available in the Library of the House. The previous Government decided that available resources should be focused on countries ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue about capital punishment and open to the idea of reform. Many of the countries prioritised in 2010 have implemented reforms in the intervening five years.

Mohamed Nasheed

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to press the government of the Maldives for the unconditional release of former President Mohamed Nasheed for medical treatment in the UK.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), visited the Maldives on 17 and 18 January. He met key members of the Maldives government, including President Yameen and reiterated our call for the release of all political prisoners. The UK welcomed the Maldivian government’s decision on 18 January to allow former President Nasheed to travel overseas for medical treatment.

Maldives: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the human rights situation in the Maldives, and what consideration they are giving to immediate targeted sanctions by the UK and at a EU level on senior officials and key supporters of the government of the Maldives, including freezing assets and travel bans.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is concerned about the decline in respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the Maldives. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), visited the Maldives on 17 and 18 January and expressed these concerns to President Yameen and other key members of the Maldivian government including Foreign Minister Dunya.We will continue to apply pressure through a range of bilateral and multilateral means to bring about the positive changes we all want to see in the Maldives.

Peru: Sterilisation

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the allegation that up to 300,000 forced sterilisations took place in Peru between 1996 and 1998, in the light of the Presidential Decree in November 2015 that there should be a Registry of Victims.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Former President Alberto Fujimori’s National Family Planning Programme (Programma Nacional de Planificación Familiar) was carried out in Peru from 1996 to 1998. More than 2,000 complaints were brought against the government alleging individuals had been unaware of the permanent nature of these operations or had been financially compensated for being sterilised.An independent Congressional Committee set up to investigate the programme in 2002 established that 346,219 women and 24,535 men had been sterilised from 1993 to 2000. The committee recommended that victims of forced sterilisations be compensated and the responsible parties subject to legal proceedings.In January 2014, after nearly 10 years of investigations, the Peruvian Public Prosecutor’s Office brought charges against some health professionals involved in the programme; no charges were brought against the government.On 6 November 2015, a Supreme Decree was published which mandated the creation of a central register of “victims”. This aims to provide free legal advice, psychological support and medical attention to those affected. The Ombudsman will represent individuals in courts and seek reparations for those individuals found to be victims of irregularities in the implementation of this programme.This Government is working towards eliminating all forms of violence against women. This is part of our work to promote the golden thread of democracy, rule of law, free media and open, accountable institutions. Our Embassy in Lima continues to monitor developments on this issue.

Palestinians: Press Freedom

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority concerning the alleged torture by Hamas of the Palestinian journalist Ayman al-Aloul, and respect for press freedoms.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not raised this issue with the Palestinian Authority, we are clear that journalists should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety. Freedom of the media is an important principle of human rights .

Israel: Prisons

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of involvement of the British company G4S in running prisons in Israel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While the British Government has not made an assessment of the level of involvement of G4S in the running of Israeli prisons, we have made clear in meetings with G4S our concerns about Israel’s conduct of the occupation. In April 2013, G4S publicly confirmed that they would not renew a number of security contracts in the West Bank ‘to ensure that G4S Israel business practices remain in line with our own business ethics policy’. These include the servicing of security equipment at Ofer Military Prison, at West Bank checkpoints and at a police station in the contentious E-1 area of the West Bank.

Israel: Prisons

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the welfare of children in prisons in Israel run by G4S.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities concerning the welfare of children in specific prisons in Israel run by G4S, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns about the treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention with the Israeli Chief Military Prosecutor on 23 November 2015.We continue to push for further measures to ensure that international standards are upheld in regards to the treatment of Palestinian children detained.

Israel: Prisons

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of improvement in the conditions of children in prisons in Israel since the publication in 2012 of the report by British lawyers Children in Military Custody.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) progress report of October 2013 noted that Israel has taken some positive steps towards addressing the recommendations in the 2012 report by updating the existing Standard Operating Procedures and policies in relation to the arrest of minors. These updates included changing the policy on methods of restraint and the use of blindfolds. Israel also increased the age of majority for Palestinian children. The Israeli military committed to conducting a pilot of using written summons instead of night-time arrests.We welcome the steps taken to date, but we continue to call for further measures, including the mandatory use of audio-visual recording of interrogations, investigation into continued reports of single-hand ties being used, and an end to solitary confinement for children.We are also funding a follow up mission by the British lawyers who conducted the report in February.

Bahrain: Torture

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Bahrain concerning their alleged use of torture.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government consistently and unreservedly condemns torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and it is a priority for us to combat it wherever and whenever it occurs. The Government of Bahrain has previously committed to consider ratifying the Optional Protocol of the Convention Against Torture. The UK strongly supports this and we have been working with the authorities to share best practice on torture prevention measures. We also continue to call upon the Government of Bahrain to agree a visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the whereabouts and medical condition of the two Birzeit students who were arrested on 7 October and are being detained in an undisclosed location.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this issue. Officials in our Embassy in Tel Aviv have, however, raised our concerns over the treatment of Palestinian detainees on many occasions, including with the Israeli Ministry of Justice, Attorney General’s Office and National Security Council.

Crimea: Tatars

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made at the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe about the treatment of the Crimean Tartar leader, Akhtem Chiygoz, and other Crimean Tartars about their detention and about the general harassment of Crimean Tartars and its incompatibility with the membership of the council of Europe; and what has been the outcome.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK has raised the treatment of Crimean Tatars and the deteriorating human rights situation in Crimea on a number of occasions in the Committee of Ministers during debates on Ukraine. We will continue to do so. This issue was also raised on 15 October during the meeting between Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington).

Israel: Bedouin

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the humanitarian consequences in the acute winter season, especially for children, of the destruction by the Israeli Civil Administration of Bedouin homes and communities in Area C near East Jerusalem, including that of Abu Nwar on 6 January; and what discussions they have had with the Israelis about whether such actions accentuate counter-productive security consequences.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: An official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns on this issue with the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories on 13 January. Officials from our Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Department for International Development visited Abu Nwar on 19 January alongside EU colleagues. The UK is deeply concerned by Israeli proposals to relocate the Bedouin population from the E1 area, which the UN have said could constitute forcible transfer. These plans could have a devastating impact on the communities concerned and will likely open the way for further settlement expansion – endangering the viability of a two-state solution. Our position is clear: demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; are harmful to the peace process; and are, in all but the most exceptional of cases, contrary to international humanitarian law. The Fourth Geneva Convention is clear that the destruction of any real or personal property in Occupied Territory is not justified unless it is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. We also make clear to Israel that forcible transfer would be a breach of international humanitarian law and would have serious ramifications on Israel’s international standing.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Universities: Finance

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who supervises and audits public funding of universities in the UK.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: Responsibility for higher education is devolved.The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has responsibility for oversight of the higher education sector in England.For Higher Education Institute’s that receive HEFCE funding, the individual HEI’s external auditor is required to provide a statement in their audit report that public funding has been used for the purposes for which it was provided. HEFCE also seeks a range of other accountability returns from each HEI and carries out periodic ‘HEFCE Assurance Reviews’ of all HEIs.Similar arrangements are in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. BIS is responsible for “alternative HE providers”, which includes some private universities, who are not in receipt of funding from HEFCE.Individual public bodies (such as Government Departments and Research Councils) are separately accountable for any public funding that they distribute.

Mature Students: Loans

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the resource cost charge in England of (1) full-time fee loans in higher education, (2) full-time maintenance loans in higher education, (3) part-time fee loans in higher education, and (4) adult further education fee loans, for those aged 24 and over who are studying on Level 3 and 4 courses.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: We estimate that the Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) charge for full time tuition fee and maintenance loans, and part time fee loans, is between 20% and 25%.We estimate that the Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) charge for Advanced Learner Loans is around 40%. BIS is collecting data on learners as it emerges and based on this data we regularly review and update the RAB charge estimate for Advanced Learner Loans.These estimates take into account the changes to student finance and the new HM Treasury discount rate used to value the student loan book announced at Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015. We will update our estimates in summer 2016 and publish these at the same time as BIS accounts.

Department for International Development

Syria: International Assistance

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that Syrian women are appropriately represented and will play a meaningful role in discussions at the Syria Donors Conference in February 2016, rather than at the preceding civil society conference.

Earl of Courtown: As you know, women and girls is a top priority for DFID. The focus of the Syria Conference is to raise significant new funding to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of all those affected by the crisis within Syria and to support neighbouring countries, who have shown enormous generosity in hosting refugees, to cope with the impact of the crisis. We also hope that the Conference outcomes will support on-going discussions on a political situation to the conflict.Under UN Resolution 1325, we are committed to ensuring appropriate representation of women in Conference delegations and panels. This will be pursued through our engagement with overseas delegations to include strong female representation. The Conference will include a strong focus on the situation inside Syria, the very human impact on women, girls and youth, and ways we can protect them from harm, including sexual and gender-based violence. As you know, on the day before the event, we are also supporting a large gathering of civil society, from which a cross-section, including representation of women and girls, will contribute to discussions in the Conference.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have for achieving access in compliance with UN Resolutions to food and medicines for those Syrians now cut off from external supplies.

Earl of Courtown: The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US.The UK plays a key role in ensuring humanitarian access to Syria. By 30 November 2015, at least 222 shipments of cross-border aid had been delivered as a direct result of the UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258 which enables the UN to deliver aid into Syria without the consent of the regime.The UK worked with partners in the UN Security Council to put humanitarian access in Madaya, and across Syria, on the Security Council’s agenda on Monday 11 January.We continue to call on all sides to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and ensure free, unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the feasibility of dropping food by air to civilian communities now under siege in Syria and cut off from all external supplies.

Earl of Courtown: The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US. We have provided support to the UN and international NGOs (INGOs) since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria. By the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and in the surrounding region had, for example, delivered almost 20 million food rations that feed one person for a month; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief items for 4.6 million people.The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. We rule nothing out. However, the use of air drops is high risk and should only be considered as a last resort when all other means have failed.Attempting air drops without the consent of the parties to the conflict may risk undermining negotiations on humanitarian access to the 4.5 million people in hard to reach areas across Syria. Even in uncontested space air drops poise significant challenges. There is a requirement to identify clear drop zones, ensure safe access for the intended recipients and to co-ordinate with authorities on the ground. Instead, the UN, the Red Cross Movement and NGO partners are best placed to deliver aid to vulnerable people in besieged and hard to reach areas.The desperate situation in besieged and hard to reach areas shows why we need the international community to come together at the London Conference for Syria and the Region on 4 February to support immediate needs and identify longer-term solutions to address the needs of those affected by the crisis.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to transport food supplies by air into the town of Madaya in Syria to alleviate severe food shortages.

Earl of Courtown: The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US. By the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and in the surrounding region had, for example, delivered almost 20 million food rations that feed one person for a month; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief items for 4.6 million people. The UK co-sponsored and lobbied hard for the passage of UN Security Council Resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258 which call on the parties to allow rapid, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to besieged and hard to reach places.The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. We rule nothing out. However, the use of air drops is high risk and should only be considered as a last resort when all other means have failed. Attempting air drops without the consent of the parties to the conflict may risk undermining negotiations on humanitarian access to the 4.5 million people in hard to reach areas across Syria. Even in uncontested space air drops poise significant challenges. There is a requirement to identify clear drop zones, ensure safe access for the intended recipients and to co-ordinate with authorities on the ground. Instead, the UN, the Red Cross Movement and NGO partners are best placed to deliver aid to vulnerable people in besieged and hard to reach areas.The most effective way to provide assistance to people who are starving is for all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law and to provide sustained, permanent and safe humanitarian access to humanitarian agencies.

Refugees

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they give to voluntary organisations engaged in the refugee crisis.

Earl of Courtown: The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion to date to help alleviate the Syria Crisis, our largest ever humanitarian response. The UK is supporting a range of implementing partners working in Syria and neighbouring countries, including United Nations agencies, international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Red Cross/Crescent and other international organisations.In relation to the Mediterranean migration crisis, the UK is supporting host government capacity and organisations such as the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration, and NGOs to provide basic care, assistance, protection, and informationto vulnerable people.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider using airdrops to carry food to relieve the hunger of Syrian communities.

Earl of Courtown: The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US. By the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and in the surrounding region had, for example, delivered almost 20 million food rations that feed one person for a month; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief items for 4.6 million people. We have provided ongoing support to the UN and international NGOs (INGOs) since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria.The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. We rule nothing out. However, the use of air drops is high risk and should only be considered as a last resort when all other means have failed.Attempting air drops without the consent of the parties to the conflict may risk undermining ongoing negotiations on humanitarian access to the 4.5 million people in hard to reach areas across Syria. Even in uncontested space air drops poise significant challenges. There is a requirement to identify clear drop zones, ensure safe access for the intended recipients and to co-ordinate with authorities on the ground. Instead, the UN, the Red Cross Movement and NGO partners are best placed to deliver aid to vulnerable people in besieged and hard to reach areas.The desperate situation in besieged and hard to reach areas shows why we need the international community to come together at the London Conference for Syria and the Region on 4 February to support immediate needs and identify longer-term solutions to address the needs of those affected by the crisis.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the Department for International Development's bilateral expenditure directly targeting HIV and AIDS in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.

Earl of Courtown: Details of DFID expenditure can be found in Statistics on International Development GPEX tables, which I have attached. The latest published report contains 2013/14 data. Data for 2014/15 will be published in late January 2016.DFID supports HIV prevention, treatment and care through a variety of bilateral channels including: projects and programmes at the country level; strengthening health systems in our partner countries to respond to the HIV epidemic; and funding research. We also provide support through multilateral channels and global partnerships such as the Global Fund and UNITAID. In 2013/14, bilateral spend on HIV was £48.4 million.



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Developing Countries: Health Services

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the Department for International Development's bilateral expenditure directly targeting reproductive health in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.

Earl of Courtown: Details of DFID expenditure can be found in Statistics on International Development GPEX tables, available online, which I have attached for ease.The latest published report contains 2013/14 data. Data for 2014/15 will be published in late January 2016.DFID supports reproductive health through a variety of bilateral channels including: projects and programmes at the country level; strengthening health systems in our partner countries to deliver improved reproductive health outcomes; and funding research. We also provide support through multilateral channels and global partnerships such as the Global Fund. In 2013/14, bilateral spend on reproductive health was £49.4 million. Bilateral spend on family planning also supports better reproductive health outcomes and in 2013/14, bilateral spend on family planning was £127.0 million. This is in support of our commitment, made by the Prime Minister at the 2012 London Summit, to double our spending on family planning.



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International Assistance

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the core and non-core contributions made by the Department for International Development to the United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and UN Women in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.

Earl of Courtown: The core and non-core contributions (in £ millions) made by the Department for International Development in the years 2013 and 2014 can be found in the table below. These figures are from the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics.United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)UNICEFWorld Health Organisation (WHO)Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)UN WomenCore contributions 2013204614.51512.5Non-core contributions 201341.9286.9163.5-0.10.8Core contributions 2014204814.51512.5Non-core contributions 2014203.3274.684.500.5

Development Aid

Lord Bruce of Bennachie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes, if any, they are seeking to the OECD Development Assistance Committee guidelines on official development assistance.

Earl of Courtown: As one of just a few donors to have met the 0.7% commitment, the credibility of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) system is of significant importance to the UK. The government is working closely with other countries to modernise the definition of ODA at the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), to ensure it reflects the breadth of the new international development agenda set by the new Global Goals for Sustainable Development, and fully incentivises other countries to meet these goals.

Land Mines: Bomb Disposal

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries they include in their Global Mine Action Programme, and whether they will consider adding Angola to that list.

Earl of Courtown: The Global Mine Action Programme which runs from 2014 to 2017 funds mine action projects in Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Further work in Burma, Somalia, South Sudan and Zimbabwe is currently being procured. The countries were selected following an inclusive consultation which took into account factors such as other donor funding and where the impact would be the greatest. In addition, DFID took the decision to shift the UK’s mine action funding to more fragile and conflict affected countries and where DFID could align mine action work with other DFID country programmes to maximise the impact. All funds have already been allocated under this programme therefore there is no scope for Angola to be included. This year DFID will reconsider the list of countries for future mine action programmes.

Department for Education

Mental Health: Primary Education

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to put mental health on the national curriculum for primary school children, as advocated by the Young People's Mental Health Advisory Group.

Lord Nash: The new national curriculum, introduced in September 2014, does not attempt to represent the sum total of everything that should be taught in schools. It only prescribes the essential knowledge that should be taught, leaving schools greater flexibility to teach over and above what the national curriculum requires and to decide how to teach the essential content that is prescribed. It is also places greater trust in teachers to cover topics important for their community, including mental health.Mental health and wellbeing is part of the non-statutory programme of study for Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, produced by the PSHE Association. To help schools deliver this, we funded the PSHE Association to produce guidance and lesson plans to support age-appropriate teaching about mental health. Further support for teachers and other professionals who work with children and young people is available through the Government funded MindEd site[1].[1] MindEd can be accessed at the following link: https://www.minded.org.uk/

Employment: Ethnic Groups

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Prime Minister's commitment to tackle race inequality in the labour market, what action they propose to end the current situation identified by the Resolution Foundation that the black and minority ethnic group find it twice as hard to secure employment as their white counterparts.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Equality Act 2010 protects all individuals against racial and other forms of discrimination in the workplace. The Prime Minister has underlined the Government’s commitments to increasing racial diversity in the workplace in his 2020 Vision in which he made a commitment to increase BAME employment by 20% by 2020. The Government is aware of the forthcoming report by the Resolution Foundation and will study its recommendations carefully when it is published.

Children's Centres

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children's centres have closed in the last year, and how many will close in 2016.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: In 2015, 144 children’s centres closed. The Department does not routinely collect data on the number of anticipated closures but expects local authorities to fulfil their duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure sufficient children’s centres to meet the needs of local families. Local authorities must consult fully before any significant changes are made to children’s centre services.

Academies: Finance

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they make available for stand-alone academies facing budget deficits and the possibility of becoming bankrupt.

Lord Nash: Academy trusts are required to set balanced budgets each year, and it is the trustees’ responsibility to manage the funding for their school effectively and appropriately.Where stand-alone academy trusts are facing genuine financial difficulties, there are a number of ways they can access support to help them return to financial stability. These include:Accessing the recently launched suite of tools and information designed to improve financial health and efficiency within schoolsWorking with the Education Funding Agency (EFA) to agree a recovery plan to identify savings and ensure value for moneyIn the most serious cases, the EFA may agree to provide an advance of funding that is repayable over an agreed timeframeIf appropriate, working with Regional Schools Commissioners to consider joining a multi-academy trust

Ministry of Justice

Alexander Blackman

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the Criminal Cases Review Commission to make and publish a decision in respect of the case of Sgt Alexander Blackman.

Lord Faulks: The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is independent of Government and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on specific cases. I understand the average time that it takes the CCRC to reach an initial decision is seven months, although the length of time will depend upon the complexity of the application and the individual case.I am informed that the CCRC has assessed Mr Blackman’s case as a level one priority case and this has been communicated to him and his representatives

The Lord Chairman of Committees

Parliament: Correspondence

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask the Chairman of Committees how many items of correspondence were received in the Palace of Westminster in 2015; and of those, what proportion was received in the House of Lords.

Lord Laming: In total, 2,000,504 items of mail were received in the Palace of Westminster in 2015. The Administration does not count which House each item goes to but estimates that approximately 25 per cent of these items were destined for the House of Lords. These figures do not include parcels, courier items or internal mail.

House of Lords: Fairtrade Initiative

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask the Chairman of Committees what plans there are for the House of Lords to support Fairtrade Fortnight.

Lord Laming: Catering and Retail Services stock a range of Fairtrade products, including tea, coffee, cake, biscuits and bananas. That Department will be raising awareness of these lines during Fairtrade Fortnight and running related promotions.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Females

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the case for withdrawing funding for sporting associations if a certain quota of their board positions are not filled by women.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The government does not believe in fixed quotas for board representation. However we have an ambition that all sports' boards should have at least 25% female representation by 2017. The government’s recently published sport strategy ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’ states that UK Sport and Sport England, along with the other Home Nations' Sports Councils, will agree a new UK Sports Governance Code by September 2016 to strengthen existing commitments, including the ambition on female representation on boards. This new governance code will be mandatory for all sports bodies seeking public funding in the next funding period.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people with multiple sclerosis have scored a minimum of half their points for (1) standard rate, and (2) enhanced rate, of Personal Independence Payments daily living through aids and appliances descriptors.

Baroness Altmann: For Multiple Sclerosis:3,500 individuals were awarded Standard Daily Living, of which 3,050 (87%) scored at least half of their daily living points from aids and appliance descriptors.3,110 individuals were awarded Enhanced Daily Living, of which 790 (25%) scored at least half of their daily living points from aids and appliance descriptors.These figures relate to PIP normal rules awards made during the period April 2013 to 30th September 2015.DWP are currently running a consultation to seek views on the way that aids and appliances are taken into account when determining entitlement to the daily living component of PIP. The department wants to make sure that the policy on this is meeting the intent of focusing support on those with the greatest needs and is keen to hear views from all interested parties, especially disabled people and disability organisations.

Carer's Allowance

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Carer's Allowance claimants have a claim linked to a Personal Independence Payments daily living award.

Baroness Altmann: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Land

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 21 December 2015 (HL4409), when was the last revision of the Agricultural Land Classification Survey guidelines.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The latest government guidance was published by MAFF in early 1989 and in 2000, a ‘predictive map’ for Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) was created which complemented but did not replace the ALC maps. Research funded by Defra, published on 14 January, looked at the predicted effects of climate change on ALC grading. Whilst the work has shown the ALC system to be robust it highlights that changes to grading may be required post 2030.

Air Pollution: Greater London

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to revisit their plans for improving air quality in London in the light of evidence that several sites in London have already breached annual pollution limits for 2016.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The air quality plan published on 17 December last year sets out how, through a range of measures, London will achieve compliance with legal pollution limits for nitrogen dioxide by 2025. The plan states that the Government will keep the delivery of London measures under review and will take further action if progress is insufficient.

Air Pollution

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have calculated the additional investment necessary to speed up the implementation of their clean air plan, and if so, where those figures will be published.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The air quality plan for reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions published on 17 December last year sets out the investment we have made to date to improve air quality and our future commitments. For example, we have committed over £2bn to greener transport measures since 2011 including, over the next five years, £600m to support the development and take up of ultra-low emission vehicles and £580m for a new access fund for sustainable travel.The plan confirms that we will be providing funding to help five Local Authorities in England outside London to implement clean air zones and support the implementation of additional measures where necessary. We will be discussing the details of this with the relevant Local Authorities. In London, the 2015 Spending Review and Autumn Statement set out the financial settlement for Transport for London which is supporting a number of measures in the capital as set out in the air quality plan.

Home Office

Asylum

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applicants claimed asylum only on discovery in each of the last 10 years; how many of those applicants were granted asylum; and how many of those unsuccessful applicants were removed successfully.

Lord Bates: Over the last 10 years there have been 83,912 asylum claims made by individuals encountered by local Immigration and Enforcement Staff and the outcome of these cases is detailed below.Year Of ClaimGrant AsylumGrant OtherRefusedOtherNo DecisionGrand Total2005702241,636220-2,15020063897135,222938127,27420077127435,5251,244-8,22420081,1361,1026,0102,438710,69320096958985,2362,36059,19420109654914,7961,47127,72520111,4274284,5971,476117,93920121,6182885,2002,011379,15420132,4642355,6971,98314510,52420144,4162664,5701,38939411,035Grand Total 13,892  5,388  48,489  15,530  613  83,912 Note: The figures quoted have been derived from internal management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.The table below details the 23,264 cases that have been successfully removed from this group of cases.Year of ClaimNumber of Cases200562820062,46120072,66520082,89320092,62820102,37220112,41820122,59820132,90320141,698Grand Total 23,264 Note: The figures quoted have been derived from internal management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Deportation: Young People

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was paid in each of the last five years to assist failed asylum seekers who, on reaching the age of 18, were deported from the UK.

Lord Bates: Those who depart from the UK with the additional support of an assisted package may qualify for a combination of cash and in-kind support. Asylum seekers may qualify for assistance up to a maximum of £1,500, and families up to £2,000 per family member.The approximate value of the overall returns assistance provided to people, who applied for asylum in the UK as a child and received an assisted return to support a voluntary return to their country of origin, is given in the table below.It is not Home Office policy to deport asylum seeking children.YearValue of assisted voluntary return packages, provided to (former) asylum seeking children.2011£115,5002012£133,5002013£114,5002014£69,0002015£47,500The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.*Removal data uses Removal historical data provided to end of September 2015 in line with Published Statistics.

Deportation: Young People

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many failed 18-year-old asylum seekers received some payment to assist in their deportation from the UK.

Lord Bates: The number of people who applied for asylum in the UK as a child and later received an assisted return package as an adult to support a voluntary return to their country of origin is given in the table below. It is not Home Office policy to deport asylum seeking children.YearAsylum seeking children receiving an assisted voluntary return2011752012892013762014462015 (to September)31The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Visas: Migrant Workers

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the Migration Advisory Committee to publish the findings of the review of the Tier 2 route of the Points Based System, including their recommendations on the application of a skills levy to businesses recruiting from outside the EEA.

Lord Bates: In June last year, the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on how to restrict Tier 2 to roles where there are genuine skills shortages or which require highly-specialised experts, but with sufficient flexibility to include high value roles and key public service workers.As part of that commission, the MAC was asked for advice on applying an immigration skills charge to businesses recruiting from outside the EEA. The MAC published its report on 19 January 2016.

Immigrants: Detainees

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to set a maximum limit on the length of time that an individual can be detained in immigration detention centres.

Lord Bates: It is not possible to detain someone indefinitely under immigration powers. In order to detain an individual pending removal there must be a realistic prospect of removal in a reasonable timeframe.Each case is determined on its own merits. The introduction of an arbitrary time limit could lead to the release of foreign criminals and illegal immigrants even when their removal is imminent.Home Office guidance is clear that detention should be used sparingly, and for the shortest period reasonably necessary to achieve its purpose. Published statistics show that, in the year to September 2015, over 90 per cent of individuals leaving detention had been detained for no longer than four months.The Home Secretary commissioned Stephen Shaw CBE, the former Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, to undertake an independent review of welfare in the immigration detention estate. His report and the Government’s response to the report were published on 14 January by means of a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS).The Government’s response includes the implementation of a new approach to the case management of those who are detained, aligned with a new “adult at risk” policy to ensure more rigorous assessment of those entering detention through a new gate-keeping function, maintaining this rigour through the new removals plans process to maintain a strong focus on, and momentum towards, removal.

Refugees: France

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the functions of the officials from the Home Office and other departments who are now serving in the north of France; whether they will instruct those officials to give priority to finding and assisting refugees there (1) who may be eligible for family reunion in the UK, or (2) for whom the Government have some responsibility, such as interpreters formerly employed by the Armed Forces; and if not, whether they will fund an NGO to do that work.

Lord Bates: Border Force officers are deployed to the Northern French ports to undertake immigration and customs functions as part of the juxtaposed controls arrangements with France, whereby elements of border control are completed prior to travel to the UK. Under the treaties which govern these arrangements, Border Force officers can only undertake official functions within defined “control zones” at the ports. Under the terms of the August 2015 UK-France Joint Declaration, Border Force officials additionally visit the migrant camps in conjunction with French officials to inform migrants of the dangers in seeking entry to the UK illegally and the importance instead of seeking asylum in France, and the fact that this is a prerequisite to apply for family reunion. French officials, as the responsible authority, also provide information to migrants during these visits.Separate schemes have existed since 2013 to assist interpreters previously employed by the UK Armed Forces. These apply only to those who have remained in Afghanistan and, in recognition of their unique and exceptional service or the danger the interpreters may face because of their work, can lead to relocation to the UK if certain criteria are met.

Immigrants: Finance

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for preventing destitution, in particular as it affects some migrants and asylum applicants.

Lord Bates: Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are provided with support by the Home Office. This generally consists of free accommodation and a weekly cash allowance to cover other essential living needs. Failed asylum seekers and other migrants without immigration status are generally expected to leave the UK, but may be eligible for support in certain circumstances. The Immigration Bill restricts the support provided by the Home Office to failed asylum seekers to those who are destitute and face a genuine obstacle to their departure at the point their appeal rights are exhausted. The Bill also clarifies the circumstances in which local authorities may need to provide support to destitute migrants without immigration status, pending resolution of their status or their departure from the UK.

Islam

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 11 January (HL4752 and HL4753) and 18 January (HL4957), whether they regard as matters of concern in countering extremist ideologies the preaching and teaching of Wahhabism in mosques and Muslim education bodies in Britain, and funding from overseas for that teaching.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We consider any vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values as extremist, whatever guise these are expressed under. This includes when religions are hijacked by those wishing to promote extremism. As my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in July last year “extremist ideology is not true Islam”.Because of these concerns our Government has taken significant steps to counter extremism. We published our Counter Extremism Strategy in October 2015 which sets out a range of measures to deal with the broad challenge of extremism. We have placed a duty on specified authorities to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being radicalised. This includes schools, colleges and universities. It is also why the Prime Minister recently commissioned a review into the funding of extremism in the UK, including funding from overseas.

Ministry of Defence

Bahrain: Military Aid

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what have been the results of the training of police and security forces in Bahrain by UK armed forces.

Earl Howe: The Defence relationship contributes to UK objectives in Bahrain through programmes of world class training and education. Whilst this relationship is almost exclusively military to military, the one element that is delivered to the police and security forces concerns training to counter improvised explosive devices. This work has undoubtedly saved Bahraini lives and potentially those of UK citizens and our own Armed Forces based there.

HM Treasury

Banks

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they first learned that the Financial Conduct Authority was considering not publishing its report on banking culture examining “whether cultural change programmes in retail and wholesale banks are driving the right behaviour, in particular focusing on remuneration, appraisal and promotion decisions of middle management, as well as how concerns are reported and acted upon”, as outlined in its Business Plan 2015–16.

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what dates ministers or officials had discussions with officials at (1) the Bank of England, (2) the Prudential Regulation Authority, and (3) the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), about not publishing the FCA’s report on banking culture outlined in its Business Plan 2015–16; and which ministers and officials were involved in each of those discussions.

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what written assessments of the advantages and disadvantages of not publishing the Financial Conduct Authority’s report on banking culture outlined in its Business Plan 2015–16 were considered, and when; and who wrote those assessments.

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proposal not to publish the Financial Conduct Authority’s report on banking culture outlined in its Business Plan 2015–16; to whom they have communicated that assessment; and what response they have received.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: No Treasury Minister or official had any discussions with the FCA before the FCA took its decision to discontinue the review of banking culture included in its 2015-16 Business Plan.The FCA has published (in response to the Noble Lord’s Freedom of Information request) the dates when it communicated its decision to discontinue this review to other organisations. This response is available on the FCA website.

Business: Taxation

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to offer any deadline extensions for tax due by businesses in all areas affected by flooding.

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they are offering to businesses in all areas affected by flooding in advance of tax payment deadlines.

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce an instalment scheme for businesses in all areas affected by flooding to enable them to spread tax payments in the light of the reduction in revenues as a result of unexpected costs associated with the recent flooding.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) operates a dedicated Severe Weather helpline to offer help and advice on any tax matters to those people and businesses affected by the recent flooding. The helpline is 0800 904 7900Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 8.00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, excluding bank holidays.In cases of severe flooding, HMRC will also:consider instalment arrangements where customers are unable to pay as a result of the floods;agree a practical approach when individuals and businesses have lost vital records to the floods;suspend debt collection proceedings for those affected by the floods; andcancel penalties when the customer has missed statutory deadlines due to the floods.

Development Aid

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact on aid to least developed countries of spending on refugees arriving in European countries.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: Spending on refugees in the UK is expected to increase over the course of the Parliament to reflect the government’s commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years. However, this is in the context of wider growth in the UK’s aid budget.This is in line with the UK aid strategy: UK aid: tackling global challenges in the national interest, which is available on the gov.uk website.The precise geographical focus of the Department for International Development’s aid spending will be determined through the multilateral and bilateral aid reviews, to be published in Spring 2016.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Buildings

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which other government buildings in Westminster are being considered for sale to private buyers, on the model of Admiralty Arch and the Old War Office.

Lord Bridges of Headley: We are continuously reviewing our Estate to ensure best value. If we were to identify properties that are surplus to government requirements and should be sold, we would announce this in the usual way.